Valkyrie
by lostinhersong
Summary: Michiru finds herself attending the prestigious V Academy, but, what exactly is the V Academy a school for?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Alright, the start of yet another story, and I hope this one goes over as well as What Have You Done Now seems to have…We'll see. I hope everyone enjoys Valkyrie! Oh, the island mentioned Minami Torishima (Marcus Island in English) is a real island, but is used as a Coast Guard station by the U.S. It is very small, but…it could house a secret institution, no?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Haruka and Michiru, however the plot and the rest of the characters do belong to the space inside my mind…It's a scary place in there…_

Twelve girls sat at twelve rickety desks, in a tiny room that was painted off-white, the floor being black and white checkered board pattern, all of the having a notebook and a pen ready. Some of them tapped their pen against the desk in boredom; others tapped their pen against their lips, which were pulled into a thin white line in frustration. The teacher was almost a half an hour late.

One girl, who sat at the very front of the room sat perfectly still. She had curly aqua hair that was pulled back into a sophisticated looking pony-tail, tied with a red ribbon. Her hands were folded ever so neatly on the teal notebook she had brought, along with the folder that read "V Academy" in glossy red text, the folder itself being black. She wiggled her nose in annoyance, her leg shaking slightly with anticipation. She was wearing a medium length black skirt, with flip flops, and a casual red blouse, looking nice, yet professional.

The other girls wore t-shirts and jeans, and one even wore a baseball cap backwards over her short auburn hair. The girls fidgeted, all of them nervous and excited at the same time, being quivering contradictions as they turned their eyes to the clock once again, the bright fluorescent lights beating down on them.

None of them spoke, though they wanted to. They wanted to question each other as to what they knew about this school. The packets they had received said it was a prestigious prep school, and was very selective. Their parents had immediately sent in the necessary paper work, not caring that it seemed odd that their daughter's were being handed a full scholarship to a school unheard of. They had been given a plane ticket with their acceptance letter. The plane, they were told by letter, would take them to a small island east of known as Minami Torishima. This island was the eastern most island owned by the Japanese government, and was the hottest place in Japan. The girls were suddenly very grateful that the building they were in had air conditioning.

They waited. An hour passed, and still no sign of their teacher. The girl wearing the baseball cap sighed loudly, the other eleven turning to look at her. She shrugged, and popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth, chewing loudly. She wore a Dir en Grey shirt that was black over a pair of tight blue jeans. They all looked at the clock, its ticking being the only sound in the room. They sighed almost in unison, and the pencil tapping began again

One girl, who had black hair that sat in the corner by the clock cleared her throat as if she was going to say something, but she didn't, instead, she sighed heavily. Once more, they all looked to the clock. The minutes ticked by. Finally, the door busted open and a woman wearing a short black mini skirt, a white button up and combat boots came walking in, her long blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail with a long gold ribbon. And she was toting a M16 rifle.

The girls had all jumped when she had busted into the room, turning to look at her. Their eyes widened, and their mouths dropped as they noticed the gun slung absentmindedly over her shoulder. She smirked at them, stepping lightly through the rows of desks and stopping in front of an older looking teacher's desk. She slid the rifle from her shoulder, unloaded in with amazing speed and set it down, dropping the bullets beside it. She spun around, facing the class.

She was easily 5'8'' and very slender, but more of a muscular build to her. Her long, sleek legs were long, the mini skirt barely leaving anything to imagination. Her white button up clung to her toned torso; the top three buttons undone, giving a peek of a black wife beater beneath it. Her breasts were smaller, yet enough to pronounce her a woman. Her hair was long, her pony tail almost touching her butt, the ends of the golden ribbon it was restrained by hanging almost as far. Her skin was tan, and her eyes were a light grey.

Once again, the girls stared, mouths agape at the woman before them. She was beautiful, yet looked absolutely lethal. They looked at each other, suddenly worried for their safety. The girl at the front of the room, the one with aqua hair, stared at the woman and licked her lips. The woman took a dagger from both of her boots and several throwing stars from a pouch inside of her white button up, laying her weapons on the table.

"Hello, and welcome to V Academy!" the blonde said cheerfully. The twelve girls looked at her fearfully, the terror apparent in their eyes and the way they leaned in their seats, as if they were prepared to run. The blonde smiled. "I'm sorry I was so late, but I got held up in traffic in Tokyo, and then I missed my plane, so I had to hijack another plane to get here, and…it was just a big mess!" Her explanation was met by terrified stares and open mouths.

"You…hijacked a plane…" the girl in the Dir en Grey shirt whispered, after several minutes of strained silence. The blonde laughed.

"Yep."

"Isn't that…illegal?" she questioned in a whisper once more, her eyes glancing towards the exit.

"Yep." The blonde grinned. The girl stood up.

"What kind of place is this? I'm outta here," she started walking towards the exit, the blonde chucking a throwing star. The weapon wizzed past Dir en Grey girl, slamming into the door, which caused the girl to yelp in panic.

"If you sit down, I'll explain, okay?" the blonde smirked, her cockiness apparent in her stance and the glint in her eyes. The girl sat back down, muttering something about the place being crazy. "Now, as I told you, and you obviously already knew, you are at the V Academy." The girl with aqua hair raised her hand. "Yes?"

"What exactly is the V Academy?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper as the other girls had been, her blue eyes darting over the rifle at the woman's back. The blonde smiled at her.

"The V Academy is the training facility for the Valkyrie," her smile widened as she hopped up to sit on the desk.

"And the Valkyrie are…?" the same girl questioned, looking very interested now. The blonde tilted her head.

"You really have no idea, do you? You've never heard of us?" she questioned, looking confused. The girls all shook their heads.

"No, ma'am…" a girl wearing a t-shirt saying "Juuban High School" said. The blonde let out a sigh.

"The Valkyrie are an elite group of women who are taught and are masters of killing," she said with a smile, it widening as their mouths dropped once more.

"WHAT!?" the girl with aqua hair practically yelled. She moved to stand, and then thought better of it.

"You were all chosen for either your intelligence or your athletic prowess. Something about you triggered our radar, and the other sisters and myself hand picked you from the masses to come and continue our legacy," she grinned once again, their mouths still hanging open. She jumped off the desks. "You all know your names, correct?"

"Yeah…" the girl with aqua hair stated with a hint of hesitation in her voice. She opened her mouth, about ready to tell the blonde her name was Michiru. The blonde held up a hand.

"Forget them. Forget whoever you were before coming here. You are Valkyrie's now, that is what you must learn," she numbered them off, Michiru being number 6, Dir en Grey girl (who's name was Umeko) being number 9. The rest of the girls got their numbers, blinking at them. "For the duration of training, you are a number. You are merely a digit. You have to earn a name here, understood? And even then, we assign you the name. You name from your previous life means nothing now, so forget it. If you do not make it through training, your mind will be erased of what you have seen here, so you can not give out our secrets, and you will return to a normal life, understood?" The girls stared at her blankly. "If anyone doesn't want this honor, please stand. We will go to the lab, erase your memory, and return you to Tokyo," she looked around as not a single girl stood up. She smiled. "Good." Number 6 raised her hand. "Hai, 6?"

"What IS your name?"

"My name…is Kaze."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I haven't updated this one for a while…but, I had a strike of genius! Bwhahahahaha! –coughs- Here you are, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: The lovely Haruka and Michiru belong to Naoko Takeuchi, not to me, which saddens me. _

Michiru looked around the small room she had been given. There was a small bed in the corner, a closet, a tiny desk, and a gun safe. Not what she had thought her dorm room would look like when she used to imagine college. Well, everything was how she imagined it, except for the gun safe. She set her suitcase down, and unpacked her belongings, hanging up the meager clothes she had brought, and placed the books on her desk. When she had gotten the paper, she was told to bring her toiletries, a few outfits for the first week, and some books that she would enjoy to read. On the "forbidden list" were: a computer, a cell phone, mp3 players, and addresses of loved ones. Michiru had found this list a bit strange, but did a she was told, only bringing enough clothes for a week, and bringing a small stack of classical novels. The violinist had also brought her violin, which wasn't on either list, so she didn't see how it would be an issue. Michiru walked to the gun safe, and found the combination was written on a sticky note: 3-6-9-1. She did the combination and opened the heavy door, her eyes widening to see the variety of sniper rifles, hand guns, and assault rifles inside. A small packet was sitting on the top shelf with the variety of ammunition. Michiru picked up the packet and walked to her bed, where she sat down, opening it to read the top letter.

"_Welcome to the V Academy, where true assassin's are born! If you are reading this, you have accepted the challenge, and are intending to begin the intense training it takes to become a top-notched female assassin. Also, if you are reading this, you have already explored your room, as each of your packets are hidden in different area's of each room. This is a good sign, and this is one reason you have all been chosen to become the next generation of Valkyrie. Now, you have already met with Kaze, who will serve as your instructor throughout your time here at the V Academy. Also helping with your training is Fighta, who is the martial arts instructor. I wish you the best of luck with your training, and remember, you are all here because you have something to offer as one part to a _

_larger whole. Welcome, once again, to the V Academy! – Big Brother_

Michirublinked as she read it, and then reread it. This whole thing seemed like a wild dream, one that she would wake up right before a good part happened. She jumped when a husky voice came over the intercom, which she hadn't noticed beside the door.

"_All V-cadets please report to the main hallway. Dress comfortably. That is all," _the voice clicked off the intercom and Michiru stood, moving to her closet without a thought, dressing in a pair of jeans and a navy blue tank-top. She walked to the main hallway, being the first one there, besides a tall blonde woman. The recruit moved to stand beside the seasoned assassin, looking her up and down. Kaze chuckled and spoke, her voice a bit more husky in person than over the intercom.

"Let me guess, you're always fashionably early?" she looked to Michiru, a cocky grin pasted on her face. Michiru blushed, and looked away when her ocean blue eyes met with the grey eyes that belonged to the assassin. The violinist had always had a knack for analyzing people in less time it took others. In the moment she had spent looking at the blonde, she could tell that she was confident, a bit cocky, strong in her abilities, and would probably look much sexier in a boyish hair cut. Michiru blushed again for thinking in such a provocative manner. She smiled and nodded at the blonde's question.

"Usually, I had a very…punctual childhood," she found herself laughing with the blonde, the other girls taking forever. Kaze moved so that they were facing each other.

"You're…6, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," Michiru nodded, to which the blonde cringed.

"Call me Kaze, ma'am makes me feel old," she chuckled. Michiru's eyes skimmed the woman's form, the blonde clad in a black tank top, a pair of baggy jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. Michiru blinked and looked up, meeting the blonde's eyes. "Analyzing me, 6?"

"It's a habit, Kaze," she blushed, caught. The assassin chuckled.

"It's a good habit. Now, before someone comes, I want you to tell me what you got when you read me," she began to pace, her anxiousness obvious. Michiru bit her lower lip for a second before answering.

"You're cocky, a bit arrogant, overly-confident, a tom-boy, independent, and strong," she swallowed when she felt the blonde halt at her back, and relaxed once again when she heard the woman chuckle.

"You see what I want you to see. A good assassin will be able to see what the person doesn't want them to see. Body language is a powerful thing, but as an assassin, sometimes, you have to look beyond the outside. You have to be able to look into their eyes, and see exactly what their secrets are…and at times, what they are desiring," she stopped in front of Michiru again, the smirk still on her face. The aqua-haired recruit smirked at her, which the blonde was not expecting.

"Oh, and you can teach me all that?" she winked, flirting without meaning, which resulted in the blonde chuckling softly.

"I can, if you're willing to learn, my perfect little score," she turned to walk towards the group of girls that had gathered up the hall a little ways. Michiru walked quickly to catch up to her.

"What do you mean, perfect little score?" The blonde halted for a moment and turned to her.

"The test we use to see if you're Valkyrie material. The test is hidden in the college entrance exams, and you got a perfect score on that test. Only two people have done that in the history of the Valkyrie," she smiled at Michiru and winked, causing the younger girl to blush. The blonde made her way to the group of gaggling girls, Michiru following after them as she led them towards what she called "The Closet".

"The Closet" was a huge room filled with dresses, jeans, skirts, tops, t-shirts, coats, shoes, and everything in between. The blonde smirked at their stunned faces.

"By the end of this week, your killing style will be assessed, and you will be sent in here to be outfitted in a style that suits that style. At that time, you will be instructed to throw away the clothes you brought with you. Understood?" she smiled, a chorus of "Yes, Kaze" reaching her ears. "Good, now, on with the tour."

She showed them where the dining hall was, the various offices where orders came in for who the assassins would kill. The girls followed behind her, their eyes wide at all of the various areas of the rather large school. Their final stop being the dojo, which was attached to a gun range, several of the older Valkyrie's practicing their various skills.

"And this…is the dojo…" she spoke to them about the various training methods that were used at the V Academy, such as ju jitsu, tae kwon do, judo, and karate. Michiru found herself staring at the blonde, the words the blonde spoke reaching her ears but not registering. She swallowed, the attraction she held for the blonde terrifying her.


	3. Chapter 3

She swallowed once again, her eyes scanning over Kaze's lithe form with a sudden desire to be able to see as the blonde had described; to be able to see past the cocky persona and glance behind those granite gray eyes and into her very soul. She blushed brightly as the blonde's eyes met Michiru's across the dojo, a crooked smirk fitting itself neatly on her lips as she observed Michiru and the rest of the girls in her class spar.

The aqua haired apprentice watched from the sideline currently, her attention supposed to be fixed upon the friendly match at hand, to learn. However, she found that her mind wandered quickly from the spar currently being fought and back to those hauntingly distant gray eyes. Though she hung on every word the blonde assassin had uttered during the first three months of her schooling, still, she found herself no closer to being able to glance beyond the front Kaze had so diligently built.

"Alright. Class dismissed. Free time until dinner, and then our nightly run. Get going!" Kaze's voice broke the unlikely assassin's daze, and she fell into step behind number 9, whom she had grown quite close to. 9 was dressed in a black tank top and a pair of baggy jeans. When they had taken the tour of The Closet, Kaze outfitted her to be one more suited for close ranged weapon-combat: katanas, knives, machetes, and the like would be her niche.

"She's really working us, isn't she? They ease you into it the first day or two and then BAM! –," she slammed her fist into her open palm "-they're beating every inch of your body with your friends bodies and it's just a pain in the ass." 9 muttered on their way back to their rooms. She lived right across the hall from Michiru, and stopped in front of her door. "What are you doing for free time?"

"I think I may go for a swim…or maybe go back to the dojo for some more bōjutsu training," she smiled, flipping her long aqua pony tail over her left shoulder. 9 frowned at her.

"You're not serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"This is our first real break in a month. It's run here, do this, jump up here, climb this, smash that, kill this…" she trailed off, sighing. "Fine. You do what you want. I," she pointed to herself," am going to take a nap."

"Suit yourself," came the bemused reply, a smirk to accompany it. 9 sighed at Michiru's gung-ho attitude and stepped inside of her room, shutting the door behind her. The once-violinist stepped into the room, shutting the door after she crossed the threshold. She slipped from her tight black tank-top and moved to shimmy from her tight blue jeans. She had been given tighter clothes when it had been her turn to visit The Closet. She had been told that her style was the equivalent to the way a cat moves, and the clothes she had been given would help her utilize the advantages of her own swiftness. They had, indeed, done just that. Fitting her much like a second skin, she was able to do anything that she could do in a gee or other clothing designed specifically for the fighting arts she had grown accustomed to practicing three to four hours a day. Michiru grabbed her swim suit and made her way out into the hallway once more.

She crashed into the cold pool, her arms neatly parting the water with each stroke. Her legs kicked rhythmically, her head turning for breath every other stroke. Her form was impeccable, what one could expect from a could-be champion swimmer. She swam for what seemed to be hours; finally she stopped at the far side from where she began, allowing the momentum of the water to push her against the wall. With little effort, she pushed herself from the welcoming water and into the frigid air. Her movements slowed when she heard something from the rafters above her, and she quickly looked above, noticing a streak of blonde. She allowed a perfectly angled brow arch high on her head, picking up a second towel to dry her hair.

"Do you always sneak around in the rafters?" Her voice echoed about the pool area. For a moment, she heard nothing but her own voice rebounding back to her, and the calm rippling of the water in the pool. Finally, a faint chuckle reached her ears, and a charming husky voice soon greeted them as well.

"You caught me, I am impressed. However, what would you have done had I been sent here to end your life, 6?" Kaze had managed to somehow appear behind the younger woman, wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants and a tight t-shirt that had the slogan "V for Victory!" on it. Her long blonde hair was tied back as always, and her ever-present smirk danced proudly upon her features. Michiru looked her over, quickly averting her gaze and turning from her. "Well?"

"I suppose if you had been sent here to kill me, I wouldn't have noticed you. And I would be very much dead," she dropped the towel she had wrapped around her torso, allowing the blonde a view of her flat stomach and full, round breasts. The older woman glanced towards the rafters, a light pink blush appearing on her cheeks.

"You're never quite so sarcastic in the classroom, 6. Bad day?" Kaze moved from standing in front of the pool and closer towards the wall, leaning her back against it, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, not really. I'm fine," she continued to dry her hair with the second towel, placing one slim leg onto the bench she was standing beside, stretching. The blonde, once again, averted her eyes before she found herself staring.

"Ah. Setting up a front for yourself?"

"Should I? You seem to be the only one who keeps a wall up here at the Academy, Kaze. All of the other teachers seem so open with us."

"They're not. All of us have a wall. You begin building that wall from the moment you come to this academy and are told to forget your name," the older woman grunted, pushing herself from the wall and beginning to walk from the pool area.

"You mean you still remember your name?" Michiru called after her then, causing the blonde to turn.

"As do you. We all remember our names. We will always know who we were then. We will always have some nagging voice in the back of our minds wondering who and what we would have become had we not accepted this as our fate," her voice sounded almost bitter, but the gleam in her eyes told a far different story. They told a story of blatant success and competiveness that she held with her fellow assassins. She seemed to straighten. Michiru, at the exact moment, saw just a bit further into the blonde woman's soul.

"So, what you're saying is…"

"What I am saying is that you learn the most information about someone when you learn their name. Think about it. From their name you can hack computers finding volumes of personal information; addresses, credit histories, criminal background, medical files…With a persons name, you crack their wall."

"But you told me that you have to learn how to read a person…"

"You do. And you will learn how to do that. But you will never be able to read your fellow assassins."

"Why?"

"Because not only do we train you to read people; we also teach you how to hide from their knowing eyes as well."

"So, in short, you're telling me that I will never be able to crack your wall…" her voice was soft, almost saddened by this information.

"You do not understand me. A Valkyrie does not have a wall; only our victims do."

_A/N: I want to thank everyone who is still following this story. It's coming along slowly, and this chapter is a bit dry. I can only hope that it was satisfactory after such a long wait. And I have to apologize once again for the briefness of this chapter. _

_Merry Christmas everyone!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing save for the original characters and plot. **

Michiru exhaled slowly, inching herself along the pitched roof of the expensive looking karate studio. She gripped the loaned-katana at her back to make sure it was still there and kept on. She paused by a window, hearing the loud laughter of the man she was to kill echo throughout, followed by a girlish giggle. She listened, hearing nothing but murmurs as she inched around it to a second window on the second floor. She pushed the window open silently and settled inside of the dusty extra room. She gripped her katana, the blade singing as she pulled it from the sheath. Without a sound, Michiru traversed the remainder of the small room and found herself in a dimly lit hallway. Her nose wrinkled as the putrid stench of cigarettes, body odor, and alcohol wafted to it, bile forming in the back of her throat. She shook off the feeling, and stood in front of another door, hearing whispers from behind it. Her grip tightened on the razor-edged sword as she lifted her leg to kick the door down, her eyes narrowed with the intent to kill.

The man was burly, probably in his late 40's with little hair on his head (it obviously had migrated to his back). The woman whose giggle Michiru had heard was situated between his thighs, fortunately blocking the view the young assassin did not want to see. His eyes widened, not in the pleasure from the favor he was receiving but from the sudden encounter with a young, very beautiful woman holding a sword. The woman, a blonde with hair far too curly to be natural, looked up as well, her own eyes widening. Michiru smirked as she jumped at them, her work complete within a matter of seconds.

"The target is Julian Takhishiro. He is a well known karate instructor who has turned his once honorable dojo into a place for black-marketeers, Yakuza, and drug-traffickers to frolic to. He gets rich off of the profits, while the young boys he teaches see nothing but crime and hatred, thus leading them down the wrong path. Number 6, you are to infiltrate the studio and end his reign of terror, do you understand?" The instructions came from a small box in her room, the voice being scratchy and distorted (on purpose, of course). This was Big Brother, the person who gave them their assignments, the person who was in charge of everything within the Valkyrie. Michiru, as a second year student, got her chance to finally get out into the field under the careful supervision of one of the named assassins. In her case, Kaze always accompanied her on her missions, watching and grading her on her acts of killing. In the matter of Julian Takhishiro, she received lower marks than usual.

"Why! I killed him, didn't I? I wasn't sensed until after I had entered the room and made it known I would killing him! I got a C!" She growled at the paper, the two of them standing on the beach of Minami Torishima. Kaze watched the stars over the rippling water, listening to Michiru rave.

"6, kid, listen, you have to understand something. You got a C on the assignment not for your approach to the actual killing, but because you're assignment was Takhishiro, not his blonde bimbo." Kaze's voice was soothing, calm. Her blonde hair fluttered in the breeze, her golden ribbon right along side it. Here, her walls were almost down. She was happy just standing on the beach listening to the water, with 6 at her side. She quickly shook away the thought.

"What would you have done in the situation, then? If you're so smart, what would you have done?" It was a challenge, one Kaze was eager to accept.

"Well, kid, I would have waited just that much longer. Soon enough, the blonde would have been asleep or dismissed, either way, at which time I would have struck. We do not take innocent lives unless absolutely necessary, understood?" Michiru glared at her but nodded soon after. She washed her blade in the surf, a tradition of sorts for her. She allowed the sea to strip her blade of the blood she had shed, therefore making her feel as if her sin had been washed away. She turned as she felt Kaze lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go home, okay?" Michiru felt her heart warm at Kaze's smile and gentle touch. She took the elder woman's hand when it was offered and stood.

-0-

"I want you to follow them, Uma. I know Kaze has a secret crack in that wall of hers. We need something to bring her down once and for all. Do you hear me? I want her to fall."

"Of course, Kiza. We'll find whatever it is that makes Kaze tick. Then, we will use it against her." The mousy haired woman, who wore huge horn-rimmed glasses stepped away from the woman she had been speaking to. Kiza had deep pink hair that hung to her waist, which was tied with a black ribbon. Her eyes reflected the color of her ribbon, not a glimpse of good within their depths.

"Kaze will fall, finally. And I will be Big Brother at last." She smirked widely, watching the blonde haired assassin help Michiru to her feet, sure of her belief that the long-haired blonde was in fact their leader. "And I think, Uma, I just found out how..."

-0-

"And she gave me a C for that. For a one time miscalculation in my judgment. They never once told us in class that killing innocents is worth getting my grade point average slashed in half!" She cussed under her breath, laying on her friend, number 9's, bed.

"I think I heard Kaze mention it once... That we are a cut above all other assassins because we only kill those who are corrupt and evil." 9 spoke quietly. She was about the same size as Michiru, only slightly smaller. She had long black hair that she kept tied back with a deep purple hair tie, and bright blue eyes. "Or maybe it was Fita...maybe I read it in a book somewhere..." She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, I don't remember."

"Well, it should have been in that "Why we are assassin's class". Kaze never mentioned it there!"

"Maybe that's because Kaze was too preoccupied with watching you during most of the class. I had the syllabus in front of me. She skipped over things all the time." 9 muttered, flipping through a magazine at her desk, her blue eyes seemingly filled with indifference.

"Oh, she did not. You're making that up." She blushed despite herself. She knew the rules by heart: love was prohibited. Expressing love for another soul despite your own (beyond the realm of friendship) was punishable by ejection from the Valkyrie ranks in a very violent way. The Valkyrie were legendary assassins, all of whom had been virgin women. Michiru, at finding out this information, found herself quite appalled, but it eventually just became a routine. She was a virgin (obviously) and the halls weren't exactly teeming with men, so she had never found the temptation too terrible... until very recently.

"Dead serious. Why would I lie?" 9 flipped the page, looking out of the corner of her eye at 6's expression. 6 stared at the floor, obviously deep in thought. Michiru remembered high school, how many hopeful boys she had turned down because something wasn't "just right". Now she realized... it wasn't them in general, it was just that they weren't women. In fact, it was because they weren't _her. _

_ "_9...don't...don't mention that again. Please? You never know who is listening."

-0-

The clash of swords rang throughout the hall nearest the sparring world. A grunt followed by another clash could be heard. It was revealed that the sounds came from Kaze and Fita dueling harshly, sparks sometimes sliding away from the crashing blades. Fita was the one grunting under the weight of Kaze's blade, the blonde's eyes narrowed in their fight. The smaller woman's sword flew from her hand, skittering to land against the wall furthest from them. Kaze twirled her sword, pointing it at Fita's throat.

"Checkmate." She grinned. The smaller woman rolling her eyes and swatting the blade away from her jugular.

"Feel better? You kicked my ass, per usual." The woman stood up. Dressed in a tight black tank-top and khaki pants. Her hair was chopped off at about her shoulders, being the color of copper, and a pair of deep brown eyes shown from her tanned face.

"I feel loads better, thank you." The blonde was barely out of breath, and sheathed the golden katana she had been wielding. She usually was much more cocky after win, but this time remained silent.

"You sure? Usually you're gloating about winning..." The small yet lithe woman began to braid her copper-hued hair as she spoke. Kaze simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Just have some things on my mind is all. No big deal." She turned to walk out, pausing as she heard Fita chuckle softly.

"Anything to do with that little pet project of yours?" Her voice was teasing, and not in the least angry or bitter. Kaze felt her lips turn upwards in a smile, her back still towards her.

"I haven't a clue what you mean. I'll see you tomorrow." She stepped from the room, leaving a confused Fita behind. Kaze made her way through the quiet halls towards her room. In an hour, she had a class, and in that class was her biggest secret.

_A/N: Been a long time...I know. I am ashamed. However, I am hoping that my new found obsession with this story (all over again) will help spur me forward to turn out more chapters. Hope you enjoyed it._


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Haruka, Michiru, or Setsuna (if you can find her!). I only own the plot and all other characters. Please read responsibly. _

She moved through the compound at nearly four in the morning, it being one of the only times she found a bit of peace to herself. During the day there were lessons, and the occasional mission. Though she was tone of the better assassins in the sisterhood, she often found herself drawn to the classroom instead, thus, she hung up her purple-bladed katana for a piece of chalk and chalk board. She was proud of such a choice, as it had served her well for the past three years. She chuckled softly to herself. Had it been that long? Had she come to the V Academy to be taught nearly three years ago?

Fita had been one class behind Kaze's, the school taking four years to complete. Therefore, when Fita was there, Kaze was already graduated, ribbon and name to declare her ready for the rough world they were to live. The small woman smiled to herself. It was one of the main laws of the Valkyrie: to never love another outside of friendship. It was considered a weakness to love, to feel for someone else. A weakness in their line of work, of course, was deadly. Yet, Fita couldn't help but feel that sense of love towards the blonde when she had first started. First, she believed it to be a great respect for the older and obviously talented woman. Then, she felt it begin to grow into more than that. It started one night with a innocent enough dream: the two of them entangled in a heated kiss, one attempting to beat the other. A few nights later, it became very apparent that she had either one hell of a crush on the elder girl, or she needed help. Her dream was that of the two of them sparring, the blonde beating Fita with incredible ease, and then it went straight into a dream of pure lust.

_"I win again 2. As always." The blonde chuckled softly, sweeping a lock of stray hair from her face. Her gray eyes glinted with amusement as she stepped forward, her blade still at the woman's throat._

_ "As always, Kaze..." She swallowed nervously, the blonde usually withdrawing her sword quickly after she had been disarmed. As she swallowed, the skin of her throat brushed the tip of the blade, causing a warm trickle of blood. Kaze's grin widened._

_ "I get whatever I want for winning, right?" Her grin turned into a smirk, and she watched Fita for a reaction. The younger student looked to the blonde with a look of defiance, knowing full well in her stomach what she was alluding to._

_ "Do I have a choice? Even if I did...I'd allow it to happen..." She smiled in sincerity. The dream shifted suddenly, the two of them naked upon the padded floor. The sex was rough and fast, nothing at all what the young girl from a small town would have thought for her first time. Afterwards, she had laid there panting, trying to find her breath. Kaze had stood, without a word, and left. _

Again, she was awestruck at how much of the dream she could remember. Yes, it was that night she had admitted to herself how much deeper than admiration she felt for her blonde friend. Though, she knew it was illegal in the by-laws of the sisterhood, and she pushed the feelings aside. She began to study and to practice more, keeping a fair distance from the object of her basic human impulses. Though she worked hard to overcome her feelings, she did not do so until the day she was watching Kaze speak to one of the new students. The girl with the aqua hair. The latest perfect score.

There it was, in the body language that Kaze was showing. How she fidgeted as she spoke. Usually, confidence radiated off of the blonde, but as she spoke to the younger woman, who had been dubbed 6, she turned into a nervous wreck. Fita felt a quick clench to her heart, but deep down, she knew she had no chance. Kaze was eternally out of her grasp, and yet, she found herself relieved. It was then, that Fita's biggest secret (and in turn biggest torment) was lifted from her shoulders. The teacher had made her way to her private room, bending on a knee to pray to her God above for forgiveness as well in thanks. She had already given up so much for the sisterhood; it had been that fact alone that had kept her from giving up everything else for Kaze.

Even though she had initially found relief in her new found knowledge of Kaze's attraction to 6, she couldn't help but feel hurt. Then angry. Then a deep bitterness settled itself into her heart, which she couldn't seem to shake off. It took several weeks of staying busy with training and classes to finally relieve herself of that horrible feeling. Another accidental spying made her see something else as well.

6 was just as interested in Kaze as the blonde was in her. Though, they kept their feelings hidden from the other, it was only a matter of time before they could not stand the electricity between them any longer. And, though Fita did not want to think of it, it was only a matter of time before the wrong person took notice.

-0-

_She yelled from behind the mouth guard, kicking at the swinging punching bag with all of her might, attempting to relieve her frustration. No matter what she did. No matter how well she performed, the blonde was always one step ahead of her. Little Miss Perfect Score herself. Even their numbers told of her eternal struggle: the blonde was 7, while she was 8. How fucking fitting! She snarled at the thought, punching the bag and causing it to swing slightly. She continued her assault, her long, bubblegum pink hair slick with sweat. Soon, it would be graduation, and she would finally get a name instead of being a stupid number. The laws of the sisterhood were, in her opinion, a joke. Giving up your name, becoming a number only to be molded into who they wanted you to be. It sounds all fine and dandy on paper, but it never works out right in real life. Take 7 for instance. Miss perfect score though she was, they attempted to train the assassins to work as one effective unit, but also have the skills to work alone if need be. 7, however, was a fucking show boat. She had made it painfully clear her first day that she worked solo, and the usually strict teachers agreed to it. 8 screamed in frustration, sending a flurry of punches into the bags center, and backed away to drop kick it. The squeaking echoed throughout the room. She would have her retribution on that girl someday. She just would!_

Kiza glanced to Uma, unsure why that memory of her and the punching bag had come back to her. All she knew, was the bitterness she felt for Kaze. The woman, in her opinion, was too perfect at this game. Every person has a weakness in the end. It is every Valkyrie's job to help scope out the next class, sifting through hundreds of tests scores. The test, was hidden in the standardized test given to all high school sophomores. After getting back the names of students who scored a 80% or above, it was then time to choose the thirty odd girls that would be invited. This was done by watching the girls and weeding out the ones who would be worthless to them. It required cunning, a good sense of morals, physical fitness, and dedication. Kiza had seen it early on in this process. Kaze had taken a special interest in a girl with aquamarine-hued hair. At first, Kiza could not figure out why. Usually, Kaze selected students that she felt came from her own background: single-parents who struggled raising their two to three children. This girl, however, was nothing like that. She was from a well-to-do family, her parents were still happily married, and she was an only child. Kiza could only deduce that Kaze was attracted to the girl, )which was of course, against the fundamental rules of the Valkyrie, but she had no proof of such) for her to go against her own characteristics for Valkyrie recruits. So, after several months, Kiza managed to hack into the computer and change Michiru's scores to make her even more of a target for Kaze: perfect scores up and down the line. The blonde would therefore be forced to show even more of an interest.

She had read a book once about the laws and virtues of the Valkyrie warriors. Her favorite part then, and still was about the various punishments for breaking certain rules. Loving someone other than oneself had by far the most heinous punishment available, and Kiza (as her bitterness had evolved into blind hatred) felt that such a punishment was the only one fitting for her rival. Thus, her plan was set into motion.

And 6, unwittingly fell right into her grasp. And Kaze, of course, was already playing into her dangerous plot.

-0-

She was unsure of what had initially attracted her to 6, or Michiru. Of course, she wasn't suppose to know the younger girls name, but she did anyhow. Being a recruiter does have it's perks.

It was usually the daughters of single mothers she approached, and spoke to. She knew what it had been like, growing up without a father. Her own mother had struggled throughout her life to give her two brothers and herself a decent life. A life she had turned her back on after she had been given her current opportunity. Her father had been gunned down when she was 7, and all she could see was blood until she began training to be one of the legendary Valkyrie. Soon, her need for revenge transpired into a need to train and to become even better. Her thirst for vengeance returned at the time of her graduation, and she deflected from her true mission to murder the man who kill her father: his own brother. It had been relatively painless for him, just a quick slash to his throat with her golden katana, though it had been the look in his eyes at realizing who she was, but all grown up. A sick feeling of satisfaction rose in her stomach as she watched him gurgle his apologies, his lifeless eyes seeming to stare at her. She had ran, not returning to the safe-house for a week, her original target taken by another in her class, Kiza. She felt horrid, knowing another Valkyrie had to remedy her mistake and had to go to finish her work, yet she felt no remorse. Her promise to her father was complete. In her mind, she was to rid the world of evil, one life at a time.

She rose through the ranks with ease, finding herself to be the second in command of a olive-skinned woman by the name of Kouin. Kouin was a tall woman with a slender build, her long, dark green hair tied back with a deep red ribbon. After seeing the potential in the blonde assassin, even after her deflection for her own personal objective (which she was punished for, of course) Kouin hand-selected her to be the next Big Brother. It is only the current Big Brother who can choose the successor, which creates a rift in the ranks of the Valkyrie on occasion due to the concept of favoritism. However, Kouin had honestly never spoken to the blonde before offering her the opportunity. She saw her for the mature, noble killer that she was.

Kaze often wondered if that is what drew her to 6 at first. It wasn't her background, like her other recruits had been...but something else. It must have been something reflected in those piercing blue eyes that said all that Kaze needed to know. Without the girl going through a single day of training, Big Brother had chosen her successor.

_A/N: ANOTHER ONE! And so soon! Pinch me because I think I am dreaming. Now, for those of you who have caught on to the various reference, good job! And yes, I decided on a whim to give Setsuna a tiny part in this (she may come back in a few of Haruka's memories...we shall see!). Thank you so much for the reviews I received yesterday (I think I had 6? Which really really REALLY made me happy. Seriously. I dance after every single one. Keep them coming, please!)_

_Now, I hope that is wasn't too terribly confusing. I wanted everyone to see the story from various sides. A sneak peak into three unique characters. Fita, the hopeless romantic (literally...), Kiza, the crazy antagonist (what is her grand master scheme! And oooh...what is the "most heinous punishment?"), and finally ending with KAze and her own confusion as to what brought her to Michiru. More on that later! Hope everyone enjoyed chapter cinco! _

_-lost_


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